FBI investigates man in UMd. data disclosure

University president's information posted online

The FBI is investigating a Baltimore-area computer worker in connection with the online disclosure last month of University of Maryland President Wallace Loh's Social Security and cellphone numbers, according to court records.

The affidavit signed by Special Agent Jeremy Bucalo includes the text of online communications in which Helkowski allegedly wrote that he posted the information on the website pastebin.com to demonstrate to university officials that their system was vulnerable.

Another court document shows that the FBI removed computers and data storage devices from Helkowski's home March 16.

Bucalo wrote in his affidavit that Helkowski was working for a university information technology contractor, Baltimore-based Canton Group, when he identified a security flaw in the school's network. Canton Group informed the university of the problem on Feb. 27, the agent wrote.

On March 15, the school's security task force received an email signed "the PPM," an alias the FBI subsequently linked to Helkowski, informing them of the disclosure, according to the affidavit. The writer offered to "consider pulling it off the public internet (sic)," if university officials would "cooperate as in just let me impart some useful information on things that need to be fixed immediately -- at no cost or demands of any sort."

The university has said the disclosure wasn't related to a Feb. 18 data breach involving records of about 288,000 faculty, staff, students and others.